Elsevier

Transport Policy

Volume 111, September 2021, Pages 90-97
Transport Policy

Exploring essential travel during COVID-19 quarantine: Evidence from China

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.07.016Get rights and content

Abstract

The COVID-19 has created significant impacts on the economy and individual life around the world. Various countries and cities have adopted corresponding control measures to reduce transport activities and maintain social distance to combat the spread of COVID-19. In the circumstances, residents only maintained essential travel to ensure a normal and fundamental life. In order to explore the impacts of the epidemic and control measures on individually essential travel, we have collected 513 questionnaires between February and March 2020 in China to investigate the various characteristics of essential travel. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, we examine the major factors that potentially impact the mode choices of essential travel. Results show that various socioeconomic, transport supply, health concern and travel purpose have significantly influenced travel mode choices of essential travel. The concept of essential travel will, in the era of port-pandemic, have profound implications on transportation policy making, especially on how to improve the fundamental welfare of the disadvantaged population.

Keywords

Covid-19 pandemic
Essential travel
Mode choices
Quarantine
Logistic regression
China

Cited by (0)

Xiaohong Chen is a professor at the Urban Mobility Institute, Department of Traffic Engineering, Tongji University. Her research focuses on public transportation, nonmotorized transportation, and transport policy and planning.

Yingjie Guo is a Ph.D. student at Urban Mobility Institute, Tongji University. His research focuses on urban mobility planning, and nonmotorized transportation.

Chao Yang is a professor at the Urban Mobility Institute, Department of Traffic Engineering, Tongji University. His research focuses on traffic big data analysis, traffic network analysis and evaluation, traffic planning technology, traffic demand prediction method and urban mobility planning.

Fangyi Ding is a master student at Urban Mobility Institute, Tongji University. Her research interests lie in travel data analysis, travel mode choice, and transport planning.

Quan Yuan is an associate research professor at the Urban Mobility Institute, Department of Traffic Engineering, Tongji University. His research focuses on urban transportation, freight, parking, and environmental sustainability.

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